POWER ELECTRONICS VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE APPLICATIONS
A) OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY
Power Electronics has installed thousands of KW in Cuba:
APPLICATIONS
1.
OIL PIPELINE: Variable speed drives to regulate flow and pressure.
Variable Speed Drives needed to transport the oil throughout the pipe line with a
double objective.
a) Increase the oil flow
b) Reduce the energy consumption
When the speed is increased the oil gets warmer and viscosity goes down. When
this is achieved it is possible to pump a higher flow with less energy
consumption, as it is easier to pump oil through the pipeline.
2.
50KW-132KW Variable Speed Drives for diluent pumps in petrol
collectors.
Oil is extracted and pumped to a Petrol Collector where different chemicals are
added to oil through diluent pumps, before arriving in the collector
3.
15KW-100KW Variable Speed Drives for extraction pumps
Variable speed drives are fundamental during the extraction. It is very important
not to extract more oil than the oilfield allows, otherwise the oil in the capillary
could get dry and the oil well would be blocked. Therefore the VSD are
necessary to control de flow and avoid an extraction higher than the oil brought
to the oilfield naturally,
It is also important during the extraction not to break the capillary used to pump
oil to the surface. Variable speed drives are used to bring down the capillary
when oil is about to be pumped and raise it afterwards. In case the capillary
breaks it can cause a blokage in the well and pumping can be stopped for a long
time.
To summarize, hereunder there is a list of application where Power Electronics has
taken part:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Extraction pumps
Diluent pumps
Booster pumps
Pumps for vessel load and transport
Repumping